BigToad

Alex Mercer was a legendary thief known for his audacious heists and cunning skills. However, his criminal streak comes to an abrupt halt when he is finally apprehended and sentenced to prison.

In the midst of his imprisonment, a revolutionary virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (VRMMORPG) is launched, called Eternal Realms, captivating the attention of the entire world. The prison authorities, seeking to introduce recreational activities for the inmates, decide to allow select prisoners to participate in the game as a means of passing the time.

Eager to escape the monotony of prison life, Alex eagerly takes up the opportunity to join the immersive virtual world. To his surprise, he discovers that his notoriety as a master thief has caught the attention of players within the game. They started offering him IRL means to reduce his prison sentence in an exchange on a daring quest to retrieve valuable treasures scattered throughout the virtual realm.

With a hidden class known as the "Shadow Hunter," Alex possesses unique skills and abilities that make him an invaluable asset to the players seeking rare and precious items. As he delves deeper into the virtual world, he finds himself entangled in a complex web of alliances, rivalries, and dangerous quests that blur the line between the game and reality.

As the stakes rise, Alex must navigate treacherous dungeons, confront formidable adversaries, and outwit both in-game challenges and real-world dangers. Along the way, he forms unexpected alliances and confronts his own inner demons, questioning the choices that led him down a path of crime.
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For anyone wondering about the romance, it will take a long time as this is not the focus of the book.

MMORPG: Shadow Hunter

Alex made his way back to the city of Crystal and checked his own shop. To his surprise, everything had been repaired.

"Sir Shadowborn, we worked tirelessly to get this done as quickly as possible," the man responsible for the repairs said, wiping sweat from his brow.

After promising to pay more than what the deal stipulated if they finished the repair job quickly, every single one of them started to work way harder, fueled by the promise of extra compensation. Despite the challenges, they managed to exceed expectations and complete the repairs well before the deadline.

"Exceptional work," Alex praised as he walked through his shop, inspecting the interior with a critical eye. "This is more than satisfactory. Here's your payment."

Alex reached into his inventory and retrieved a coin purse, its weight a testament to his gratitude. Handing it over to the man in charge, he noticed a genuine smile spread across the worker's face before he departed.

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